The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-04-20
Things Rare and Strange.

Things Rare and Strange.
A GERMAN chemist has invented new
kind of anTsthetic bullet, which he urges
will, If brought into general use, greatly
diminish the horrors of war. The bullet is
of brittle substance, breaking directly
when 1t comes in contact with the object at
which it is aimed. 1t contains a powerful
anHsthetic producing instantaneously com
plete insensbilty, lasting for twelve hours,
which, except that the action of the heart
continues, Is not to be distinguished from
death. A battlefield where these bullets
are used will in a short time be covered
with apparently dead bodies, but in reality
merely with the PROSTATE forms of soldiers
reduced, for the time being, to state of I'M
consciousness. While in this condition
they may, the German chemist points out,
be packed in ambulance wagons and carried
OFF as prisoners.
A MAN connected with "A New York mi-
scum claims to have farm in Penn sylvia
MIA for the development of fat women. Ac-
cording to his story, while practicing as a
quack doctor in Indiana he hit upon a veg
etable compound for stimulating the liver
and strengthening the digestive system for
the assimilation OF fat-producing foods. BY
his plans ii is just as easy to make a woman
weigh five hundred or six hundred pounds
as to pull her up to two hundred fifty.
However, the doctor acknowledges that fat
women, like poets, are born, not made. All
he claims is success in developing originally
fat women into wonders. His farm is a
very quiet place, far from the sound of
steam-whiStes and other diStraCtng noises
He prefers as subjects sleepy, lazy girls-the
younger the better-good-na easily
provoked to laughter, and as sentimental as
they can he. They must have no curiosity
about anything. Women full of curiosity,
he says, never grow fat
fTuE casa of mr. Pow u,ho JioopDooraJ oe,
mysteriously and some two weeks after
found himself in Richmond, Va. his mind
total blank upon all that had happened
since he accompanied a patient to his own
door in New York, appears to be identical
with that of the Rev. Arson Bourne, whose
remarkable divagatiOns were narrated a
short time ago. Both are instances of tenn
porary substitution-notl loss, apparently-of
identity; and the most curious fact about
them is that in this substitution, which
seems to take place with lightning-like
rapidity, the new personality evidently
takes full control of the organism and
carries on all the physical functions and q
number of mental ones with the ease and
naturalness of old habitude. This fact, in
deed, suggests that the change is less com
plete than the absolute suspension of MEM
DRY would at first indicate; for the taking
up and carrying on of so many functions
and processes implies, or seems to imply,
trained, and trained in that particular or
ganisn.
A FRIEND of mine, who is collector of lit
erary curiosities, hands me a speech made by
MIR. Bohanon in nominating some obscure
individual TO local Office in Virginia not
long ago. "The gentleman from Craig"
said Mr.. Bohanon, 1" came from country
where the lofty peaks kiss the morning rays
of the sun and the tinkling of the cow bells
heard a uhn
crystal waters meander through beautiful
valleys. | will ask him, Where did come
from? | came from a district where the
noble Chesapeake rolls her CLASSY waves
from the oyster-beds of Virginia to meet the
solid pillows of the stormy Atlantic; where
the majestic York river huns its murmur
ing music that echoes along the pebbly
banks of Old Point Comfort. / represent
not section, but the state of Virginia from
center to circumference from where the
morning rays of the golden sun gild the
eastern shore, where the evening rays lin
ger behind her western hills and the
jackafs mournful cry arouses the slumber-
ing woodsman and, moving eastward, meets
the orb of day and wakes the echoes of the
Dismal Swamp. Washington Letter.
GENERAL WIGFALL of Texas used to tell
a story about the Arkansas people. Wigfall
shot man in South Carolina and had to
clear the country. He went to Texas
lie SAID that IN riding through Arkan-
sas he came upon a party of men who
were repairing the road. There were six
or eight of them, with a long, lank,
black-haired fellow bossing the job They
all had rifles, which were placed against the
trees by the side of the road. A large log
had fallen directly across the roadway The
entire gang was engaged in trying to roll it
off to one side. Wigfall sat watching them
from his horse, which, by the way, was a
thoroughbred animal, which had been pre-
scented to him by his uncle. After watching
their Intellectual efforts for some time, and
learning that they had been two days in try
ing to roll the great log out of the way Wig
fall said; "Why don't you get an axe, chop
the log in two in the middle and roll the
pieces either way" The words were no
sooner out of his mouth than the boss of the
gang yelled, with an oath, Yankee" and.
jumping to the side of the road grabbed his
rifle, while the rest of the workmen did the
same. Wigfall said that only the speed and
bottom of his South Carolina thoroughbre
saved him from being riddled with bullets
He used to acknowledge with mock gravity
that the idea that any outsider should dare
presume to suggest an innovation on the
prevailing customs of the people, as he had
done, was sufficient to merit death.